Trainmadtommo Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Hi everyone.I'm currently restoring a pair of Hornby/Triang Blue Pullmans but can't seem to find a good colour match for their respray. I've bought the Railmatch Nanking Blue but it's nowhere near the correct colour. Does anybody out there know of a better match or what colours I could mix to get the right shade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 The only accurate way to match a colour is to take a specimen of the colour to compare to the colours in the shop. What are you comparing the colour you have bought with? Are you trying to match it with the colour on the trains. If they are old the paint may have faded quite a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Is this mismatch on similar materials?No insult intended, was the paint well-mixed, then permitted to dry?Is there a preferred backing 'primer' required - specific colour? Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainmadtommo Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 The only accurate way to match a colour is to take a specimen of the colour to compare to the colours in the shop. What are you comparing the colour you have bought with? Are you trying to match it with the colour on the trains. If they are old the paint may have faded quite a lot. Hi walkingthedog, thanks for replying.The only Nanking Blue I've found is by Railmatch and, yes, I'm trying to match the colour on my 50+ year-old trains. No other blue paint that I've looked at is anywhere near Nanking Blue but the Railmatch is a few too many shades 'bluer' than the trains. I'm thinking of trying to mix in a drop of dark green or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 A problem I have found is the colour on the tin is never the same as the colour when applied to the model. Ditto taking a picture of a colour to compare in shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Good luck with matching the shade by mixing, it's probably the only way you'll get it near the colour you want. I don't think Tri-ang were particularly good at maintaining colours in the fist place whether with plastic or paint, and depending on how and where the stock has been since it may have faded or changed colour slightly anyway. The only way I have got near is by taking a model to the shop with me. Unfortunately my local shop with a good range of paints has closed down. ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 The colour of 50 year old trains will be nothing like it was when first painted. You need to paint the whole thing then it will look as it was when new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ard Lochan Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Many car bodywork shops have paint mixing schemes where you can mix any colour you want and also carry colour chip books. They can also supply in cellulose acrlic and water base paint. If you were to look in a colour chip book and find a suitable colour it can be ordered in an aerosol or small tin from the likes of PaintsRus, Regards, Ard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Thats why my Deltic DP1 looks more like a French racing car due to the French Blue paint coming from Halfords./media/tinymce_upload/fc3c8a56c05958c0841666589c483817.jpgVersus /media/tinymce_upload/dfebfb6a5d2a508295f0bbaa7b1e60f2.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Colour matching, especially blue and green is fraught with difficulties. It isn't only the hue but the reflectivity will affect how you see it. Triang Blue Pullman is self coloured plastic (at least my one is!) which (a) probably wasn't an exact match to the Nanking Blue used on the real thing in the first place, and which Railmatch will have tried to reproduce from Pullman colour specification and (b) will have discoloured with age. Being self coloured plastic it will also have a sheen which will be very difficult to reproduce with paint. At about the same time Triang were making the Blue Pullman they were also making 'Nellie' and Caledonian 123 and a class 31 diesel all in blue, and I suspect the blue plastic they used was all a very similar shade. If you are trying to match colour exactly you may have to do as Ard Lochan above suggests and seek the help of one of the shops who offer colour matching. Take the model along with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Don't know about models, but car respray and accident repair shops have a gadget that scans the existing colour and gives the operator a paint colour mixing schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I wouldn't normal post here. I would suggest buying a RAL colour chart as Tri-ang and Hornby used the RAL colours. Bear in mind that colours of self coloured plastics change over time. This is a RAL colour chart used for locos etc in the old Margate factory./media/tinymce_upload/bed357f989864a6daa73317acb6effdb.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Good to hear from you again SoT! Knowledgeable as ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Welcome back MR, more interesting posts please ! 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainmadtommo Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 Hi everyone and thank you all for your replies and knowledgeable advice. I'll certainly look into some of your suggestions although I will have a go at mixing another colour in with the Nanking Blue I've already got rather than waste it. I've got enough. To mix up several 3ml pots so, hopefully, I'll be able to get somewhere near to the colour of my existing self-coloured-plastic stock. I've got 8 of these so it would be a huge job to repaint them all just for the sake of the renovations on the 2 that I'm doing. I'll let you know how I get on and perhaps I'll post a few photos (if it turns out worth looking at). Don't hold your breath! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 You may need to do a test piece first somewhere that doesn't notice. The reason I say that is I have found that when paint dries it takes on a slightly different hue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I have tried the take it and scan it method and the paint I bought was nowhere near! Some places may be better than others but my experience wasn't good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I've found other lists in the past, but this may give you some ideas ... https://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19986&hl=car%20spray%20cans&st=0 Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Is it the same as this. https://www.rafkinlossmrc.co.uk/info.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 That looks better still - its got the Brooklands Green I think I use for Brunswick - I found one somewhere months ago which mentioned to use Land Rover Green - I think it was that one ... Lists exist made by others who've spent days preparing them. What I do is to select that which describes what I'm looking for and ... Google an image - or even car painted in that colour. Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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